108 P U F F I N .
in their mouths; the larger picked up the fish that were dropped before
them ; but almost all of them seemed to crawl to the entrance of the holes
for the purpose of being fed. In all the burrows that communicated with
others, a round place was scooped out on one side of the avenue, in the
form of an oven; while in those which were single, this oven-like place
was found at the end, and was larger than the corridor. All the passages
were flattish above, and rounded beneath, as well as on the sides. In
many instances we found two birds sitting each on its egg in the same
hole.
The Puffin never lays more than one egg, unless the first may have
been destroyed or taken away ; nor does it raise more than a single young
one in the season. The time of incubation is probably from twenty-five to
twenty-eight days, although I have not been able to ascertain the precise
period. Both birds work in digging the hole, using their bills and feet;
they also sit alternately on their egg, although the female engages more
industriously in this occupation, while the male labours harder at the
burrow. The egg is pure white when first deposited, but soon becomes
soiled by the earth, as no nest is formed for its reception. It generally
measures two and a half inches by one and three-fourths, but varies in
size according to the age of the bird, as well as in shape, some being considerably
more rounded at the smaller end than others. When boiled, the
white is of a livid-blue colour. The captain and myself were the only
persons of our party who tried to eat some. The eggs are certainly very
bad, and are never collected by " The Eggers." The flesh of the birds
is very dark, tough, and so fishy, as to be eatable only in cases of gnat
want. Two Italians who had come to Labrador to purchase cod-fish, and
were short of provisions, fed upon Puffins daily, to the great amusement
of our party. The fishermen at times, when bait is scarce along the coast,
destroy a great number of these birds, which they skin like rabbits, and
then cut the flesh into slices.
The flight of the Puffin is firm, generally direct, now and then pretty
well sustained. It is able to rise at once from the water or the land, although
at times it runs on both before taking to wing. This depends
much on necessity, for if pushed it flies at once from the ground, or
plunges under the surface of the water. There they swim, with the wings
partially opened, at a small depth, passing along in the manner of Divers ;
and by this means they catch their prey; but at other times they dive to
the bottom, many fathoms deep, for shell-fish and other objects.
P U F F I N .
During the love season, the males chase each other in the air, on the
water, or beneath its surface, with so much quickness, as to resemble the
ricochets of a cannon-ball. Having kept several for about a week, I
threw them overboard in the harbour where we were at anchor, and where
the water was beautifully clear. On leaving my gloved hand, they
plunged through the air, entered the water, and swam off, assisting themselves
by their wings to the distance of from fifty to an hundred yards.
On coming up, they washed their plumage for a long time, and then dived
in search of food. While on board, they ran about from the dark towards
the light, keeping themselves erect, and moving with great briskness, until
at times close to my feet, when they would watch my motions like
hawks, and if I happened to look towards them, would instantly make
for some hiding-place. They fed freely and were agreeable pets, only
that they emitted an unpleasant grunting noise, and ran about incessantly
during the night, when each footstep could be counted. When on rocky
shores, or islands with large stones, I observed that the Puffins often flew
from one crag or stone to another, alighting with ease, and then standing
erect.
The young, while yet covered with down, are black, with a white patch
on the belly. Their bills do not acquire much of the form which they
ultimately have for several weeks; nor do they assume their perfect shape
for years. I have examined many hundred individuals, among which I
have found great differences in the size and form of the bill. In fact, the
existence of this diversity has induced many persons to think that we have
several species of Puffin on our coasts ; but, after having examined many
specimens in Europe, I am decidedly of opinion that this species is the
same that occurs in both continents, and that we have only one more at
all common on our eastern coasts. The sexes differ in no perceptible degree,
only that the males are somewhat larger. When two years old they
may be considered of their full size, although the bill continues to grow
and acquires furrows, until it becomes as you see it in the Plate.
ALCA ARCTICA, Linn. Syst, Nat. voL i. p. 211.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 792.
MORMON ARCTICUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 430.
PUFFIN, OR COULTERNEB, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 542.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, exceedingly